Traditionally, blenders are mainly used for blending liquid or relatively soft solid such as fruits and vegetables. Over the years, different receipts with more solid food, such as meats and ice, for blenders have been developed. These solid or dry foods are significantly more difficult to break and mix together. Therefore, there are increasing demands for high performance blenders with more rigid blades that are capable of mixing and blending different kinds of food. To break different kinds of solid foods, a strong and powerful motor must be used to drive the blades of the blender. Yet, various problems associated with a high power motor limit the design and the functionality of blenders.
One obvious problem associated with a powerful motor is the significant increase in size and weight of the blender. Since the weight of the blender increases with the size of the motor and the size of the blender also increases with the size the housing that holds the motor, the use of a large motor makes the blender less desirable for many consumers due to the size and the weight. To limit the size, the motor will have to be confined in a smaller housing. Yet, this reduces the ventilation of the housing, causing potential overheating the motor.
Overheating of the motor poses different safety and durability concerns to a blender. The overheating of a powerful motor confined in small housing could damage the components of the motor. The heat could melt the plastic and the electrical wires inside or nearby the motor housing, causing to emit hazardous and highly unpleasant smell. The melting or even burning of the electrical wires could also significantly increase the chance of electricity leakage and even cause the burning of the blender. The heat from the motor could also be transferred to the outer housing or the shell of the blender. This could melt the external design of the blender and potentially burn and injure the user.
Another type of overheating associated with a powerful motor is the overheating of the blade assembly. The blades in a blender rotate in a significantly higher speed when it is driven by a powerful motor. The friction associated with the high-speed rotation often generates a large amount of heat. When liquid or semi-liquid foods are put in the blender, the heat of the blades can usually quickly disperse over the foods. However, when solid and dry foods are being processed, heat accumulates around the moving part of the blade assembly and transfer to other parts of the blender. The heat could melt the plastic parts of the blender, releasing hazardous gas and endangering the health of the users. Any damage to the blade assembly could also affect the rotational speed of the blades, cause the blade to vibrate irregularly and vigorously, and even change the blade's rotation path. This affects the efficiency of the blender and sometimes renders the blender inoperable.
Another problem associated with a powerful motor is the vibration of motor and the blender. For a small motor, such as a 200-watt motor, the vibration is usually hardly noticeable. However, when a more powerful motor is used, the vibration increases significantly. Not only does the vibration cause unpleasant sound and unwanted movement of the blender, but it also creates other safety and design issues. In general, a blender with notable vibration is undesirable and perceived as unreliable by the customers. Unmanageable vibration could cause the blender to topple and fall. Vibration could also affect the normal horizontal rotation of the blades and reduce the efficiency of the blender.
Blenders with powerful motors are subject to heavy usage. They are often used for crushing ice and breaking rigid and dry foods. The blades become an expensive part of the blender because it must be durable and have the quality required for crushing and breaking hard objects. The blades must also be sharp and rigid for their usage. This raises safety concerns to the blender with powerful motors since the blades could severely injure the users if the users accidentally contact the blades. Even if a blender is properly designed, it could still pose a threat to the users, especially children, because of improper installation or unintended use. This safety concern is of particular importance for high performance blender because of its enhanced ability in cutting through more solid objects.
Blenders with powerful motors are usually relatively large in size. Its blade holder and the mixing vessel are also larger than those in regular blenders. Owing to their size, it can be difficult for users to attach the mixing vessel to the blade holder because the users may not be able to firmly grip the large mixing vessel with one hand. One common difficulty is not being able to screw the blade holder from the mixing vessel to a satisfactory tightness. If the blade holder is not screwed on tight enough, liquid may seep out of the mixing vessel through the blade holder into the motor unit of the blender. However, if the blade holder is screwed onto the mixing vessel too tightly, after the blending is done, it may be difficult to unscrew the blade holder from the mixing vessel. In particular, after each blending, the mixing vessel contains the blended food or liquid. Users would normally be hesitant to forcefully turn the blade holder due to the concern that the content in the mixing vessel may splash at the moment the blade holder starts unscrewing from the mixing vessel. The blending of the liquid content in the mixing vessel could also cause some of the liquid to go into the junction of the mixing vessel and the blade holder, sealing the mixing vessel and causing the blade holder even more difficult to unscrew. Moreover, the exterior of the mixing vessel is often wet and slippery. Thus, screwing and unscrewing the blade holder and the mixing vessel could be extremely difficult, especially for high power blenders with large mixing vessels.
Blenders with powerful motors are difficult to build and it is extremely challenging to address all safety and design problems associated with a large motor. Accordingly, a long-felt need remains for a high performance blender system that is safe, convenient to use and easy to clean.